Let’s Start Talking About Mental Health in the Workplace

With employees spending 40 or more hours working every week, the workplace is an environment uniquely equipped to help individuals improve their mental health. Initiatives like employee assistance programs to help employees resolve personal issues outside of work are becoming more common, but the stigmas surrounding mental health still permeate our workplaces, preventing individuals from being more proactive in taking positive steps towards addressing their struggles.  

These stigmas discourage individuals from coming forward with their struggles, and that’s a serious issue for companies wanting to operate more efficiently. So what can businesses do to more effectively champion mental health in the workplace? And how can individuals start taking steps to prioritize their own mental health at work? We talked to three Quad Cities organizations who have mental health focuses, and are committed to paving a brighter future for addressing mental health challenges.  

How is ailing mental health affecting workplace performance?  

Each professional we spoke with said that absenteeism is the most obvious result of a declining mental health in the workforce. “It certainly impacts attendance. It can impact productivity through interrupted concentration, interruption in workflow, especially on more complex projects,” said Eagle View Behavioral Health CEO Burton Carriker.  

“You have increased absenteeism when people's mental health is in the dumpster. Their physical health may not be great either, so they might be calling into work because of a migraine or other physical symptoms,” said Covenant Family Solutions (CFS) Director of Communications & Talent Acquisition Anna Patty. 

“Other things you might see are workers whose mood is different than normal. They may be moving slower, they may not have a smile on their faces, they may not engage in conversation,” said CFS Senior Clinician Anne Taets. 

Faltering mental health has an obvious impact on workers’ performance, so promoting mental health should be a focus for all companies. However, opening up the conversation regarding an employee’s mental health can be a challenging task due to mental health stigmas.  

Promoting openness on mental health in the workplace 

Building strong relationships between company leaders and employees through trust and communication is key for promoting openness in mental health conversations.  

“It helps if supervisors are knowledgeable about the commonness of mental illness,” said Vera French Mental Health Center CEO Richard Whitaker. “If there are any managers in your organization who are open to sharing their own mental illness experiences, they can become a champion for the workplace. Employees will feel that they can talk about their own mental health.” 

A workplace that embraces an open-door policy to discuss mental health struggles is integral for keeping company leaders informed about their workers. 

“We have an open-door policy for all our supervisors and managers. We also have one-on-one meetings that employees have with their direct supervisor on a regular basis, ideally weekly. That one-on-one time really lets managers know what's going on with their employees,” said Whitaker. “Building trust and communication between supervisors and supervisees ensures that no problems are left to stew and create larger issues.” 

Leaders who are generally informed about mental health can be instrumental in opening the conversation amongst employees, and sometimes, a small gesture can go a long way. “Making the gesture of just taking the time to say hello and do a general check in with coworkers is really appreciated,” said Carriker. “Offering opportunities for an open-door policy with a direct supervisor or someone in human resources can help a great deal.” 

Training for company leaders to recognize the warning signs of faltering mental health is another advantageous tool that can be implemented. “It’s important for leaders to realize that every employee has a breaking point. It's not good to wait until that breaking point. Providing some training on how to notice the signs that their employees are struggling would be helpful, and would really show employees that they are interested in hearing and helping,” said Taets.  

Advice for struggling employees at all levels 

Employers have the opportunity to assist their employees with their mental health; however the power is always in the individual’s hands to start taking the steps to improve their mental health. Here’s some advice from the professionals on how you can start improving your mental health in order to enjoy a better workplace experience.  

“Figure out how to get a good night's sleep. That is so important to your mental health. Get outside and do some exercise of some kind. And find ways to cut the stress down in your life. If there’s something in your life that you don’t need to be doing that causes you stress, cut it out,” offered Whitaker. The tasks that seem easy enough are often neglected. Taking the time to focus on them can have substantial benefits. 

Training oneself to understand that mental health struggles are common is an important step forward. According to the World Health Organization, 15% of working age adults are estimated to have a mental disorder. In addition, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year due to mental health challenges.  

Those who are struggling are not alone, and they likely have coworkers who share the same challenges. Carriker said, “Understand that mental health impacts everybody. It’s simply part of the whole spectrum of overall health.” 

Therapy is a resource that can prove to be especially valuable for individuals looking for a new strategy to improve their mental health. “It's important for people to realize that they can go to therapy and it doesn’t show any sort of weakness. If you need it, it's there. And you're strong for reaching out for it,” said Taets.  

Prioritizing mental health in the workplace works wonders 

Prioritizing mental health in the workplace has the obvious financial benefits of increased productivity and morale. But at the end of the day, the simple satisfaction that comes from knowing that you’re doing your part is something that all companies should strive for. We spend more time with our coworkers than many other people, so let’s focus on ensuring that our employees receive the empathy and support they need to do their job effectively with stronger mental health priorities.